Rap music emerged from block parties after ultra-competitive DJs isolated percussion breaks, those being the favorites among dancers, and MCs began speaking over the beats;[1] in Jamaica, a similar musical style called dub developed from the same isolated and elongated percussion breaks. However, "most rappers will tell you that they either disliked reggae or were only vaguely aware of it in the early and middle '70s."[1]

"Rappers Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang is the first song that was recorded & released by a hip hop crew, and therefore is considered the first true hip hop release, though "King Tim III" by the R&B group Fatback Band and "Groovy Ghost Show" by Casper are sometimes considered to be the first because they featured rapping, and predated "Rapper's Delight" by a few months.[1]

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History

From 1977 to 1982 on WGPR, followed by three years at WJLB, a Detroit FM DJ named Charles Johnson, better known by his on-air name, the Electrifying Mojo, presided over the Midnight Funk Association, broadcasting a diverse anti-format with special attention given to the German minimalist electronic group Kraftwerk. Having fished the Autobahn album out of the "discarded" bin at a previous station, and soon after having acquired a copy of Trans Europe Express, when the 1981 album Computer World came out, Mojo played the entire albums virtually every night, making a lasting impact on listeners.